cities

Chimaltenango

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Overview

Chimaltenango is a mid-size city of about 100,000 people in the Central Highlands region just west of Guatemala City.

Facts

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Coordinates

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

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Beyond the market stalls

While most visitors glimpse Chimaltenango’s textile booths, the city’s surrounding valleys host family workshops where the looms have been passed down for generations. A short tuk‑tuk ride from the central plaza brings you to a modest courtyard where a weaver will demonstrate the traditional back‑strap technique and explain how natural dyes are harvested from nearby cochineal insects and indigo plants. Timing your visit for a weekday morning increases the chance of catching a live demonstration, as the artisans often reserve afternoons for household duties. Purchasing directly from these workshops not only supports the local economy but also yields fabrics that carry the subtle variations of hand‑spun yarn, something you won’t find in the larger souvenir stalls.

A base for highland day trips

Chimaltenango’s position on the Pan‑American Highway makes it a practical launching point for exploring the highland countryside without committing to a multi‑day trek. Within an hour’s drive you can reach the volcanic peaks of Pacaya and Acatenango, where seasoned guides offer sunrise climbs that culminate in panoramic views of the coffee‑belt terraces. Alternatively, the historic town of Santa Cruz del Quiché lies a short bus ride away, presenting colonial architecture that mirrors Chimaltenango’s own heritage but with distinct local murals. Pack a light rain jacket for the afternoon clouds that routinely drift over the plateau, and keep a reusable water bottle handy—altitude can make dehydration sneak up quickly.

When the clouds roll in

Chimaltenango’s subtropical highland climate yields crisp mornings and a frequent afternoon mist that can transform the city’s pastel façades into a soft tableau. Travellers planning a cultural stroll should schedule museum visits or pottery workshops for the early hours, when sunlight accentuates the vivid glazes. The mist, arriving typically between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., is ideal for photography enthusiasts seeking atmospheric street scenes; a simple tripod and a slow shutter speed capture the interplay of light and cloud. If you prefer dry conditions, the dry season from November to April offers clearer skies, though the evenings can feel surprisingly cool, so a light sweater is advisable.

Introduction

Municipality and city in GuatemalaChimaltenangoMunicipality and cityChimaltenangoChimaltenangoLocation in GuatemalaCoordinates: 14°39′44″N 90°49′15″W / 14.66222°N 90.82083°W / 14.66222; -90.82083Country GuatemalaDepartment ChimaltenangoGovernment • MayorCarlos Alexánder SimajArea • Municipality and city33 sq mi (86 km2)Population (2018 census) • Municipality and city96,985 • Density2,900/sq mi (1,100/km2) • Urban96,985ClimateCwb Chimaltenango is a city in Guatemala with a population of 96,985 (2018 census). It serves as both the capital of the department of Chimaltenango and the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. Chimaltenango stands some 56 kilometres (35 mi) west of Guatemala City, on the Pan-American Highway. The municipal capital produces textiles and pottery.

History

[edit] Teacher Natalia Górriz de Morales. Photograph from La Ilustración Guatemalteca. In Pre-Columbian times, what is now the city of Chimaltenango was known to its native inhabitants as B'oko'. Like many other cities in the area, the Spanish Conquistadores used the name given by their Nahuatl speaking allies from central Mexico. The Nahuatl name was Chīmaltenānco, meaning "Shield City". The current town was founded in 1526 by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Portocarrero, and shortly after it was assigned by Bishop Francisco Marroquín to the Order of Preachers, along with Jocotenango, Jilotepeque, Sumpango, Candelaria, Amatitlán, Petapa, Mixco, and Pinula. These were the general areas under the jurisdiction of "Valle de Pasuya" (English: Pasuya Valley) in those days (which had nine valleys), among them the Chimaltenango Valley. This valley bordered with Xilotepeque valley on the northwest, with Mixco valley on the East, with Guatemala on the North, and with Sololá Prinvice on the West. Furthermore, the Valle of Pasuya had two mayor municipalities: Chimaltenango (which included the Chimaltenango, Xilotepeque, and Alotenango valleys), and Sacatepéquez (which included the remainder). After independence from Spain in 1821, the town was elevated to "Villa" status in 1825 but apparently lost some luster, as one can infer from archeologist Alfred Percival Maudslay wife's description from a trip there in 1895. Anne Cary Maudslay, wrote: "We were not tempted to loiter for long, and rode on again over the dull plain to the uninteresting town of Chimaltenango, where we proposed to spend the night. The hotel was dirty and the bedrooms so unpleasant that we would have none of them, and sent Gorgonio to hunt for an empty room in which we could put up our own beds. This he found in a "meson", or caravanserai, attached to the hotel, where there was a good-sized room and a rough kitchen opening on a patio in which we could turn the beasts loose for the night. A sprinkling with water, a good sweeping, and a free use of Keating's powder, soon made the room habitable. The supper at the hotel was, however, far above the average, and the only thing to complain of was the poor forage supplied to the mules."

Famous citizens

[edit] Natalia Górriz de Morales, teacher. She was the director of "Instituto Normal Central para Señoritas" (English: Normal Central Institute for Girls) and Elementary School Inspector during General José María Reina Barrios' presidency and was married to the Minister of Economy, Colonel Próspero Morales. In 1897, he resigned his position and raised arms as one of the leaders of the Quetzaltenango Revolution against his former boss General Reina Barrios, after he tried to extend his presidential term to 1902 after the failure of the Central American Expo and the acute economic crisis that mired Guatemala. After the Reina Barrios murder in February 1898, Morales ran for office in the 1898 presidential elections. When he realized that those were rigged in favor of Interim President Manuel Estrada Cabrera, he tried to invade Guatemala from Mexico, but died in the attempt. Natalia Górriz de Morales then started teaching again and became one of the more representative women of the early 20th century in Guatemala.

Climate

[edit] Chimaltenango has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb). Climate data for Chimaltenango Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 22.0(71.6) 22.9(73.2) 24.7(76.5) 25.1(77.2) 24.9(76.8) 23.1(73.6) 23.3(73.9) 23.7(74.7) 23.0(73.4) 22.2(72.0) 22.3(72.1) 22.1(71.8) 23.3(73.9) Daily mean °C (°F) 15.6(60.1) 16.3(61.3) 17.7(63.9) 18.8(65.8) 19.1(66.4) 18.5(65.3) 18.3(64.9) 18.4(65.1) 18.1(64.6) 17.4(63.3) 16.7(62.1) 15.9(60.6) 17.6(63.6) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 9.3(48.7) 9.7(49.5) 10.7(51.3) 12.6(54.7) 13.4(56.1) 14.0(57.2) 13.4(56.1) 13.1(55.6) 13.3(55.9) 12.6(54.7) 11.2(52.2) 9.7(49.5) 11.9(53.5) Average precipitation mm (inches) 3(0.1) 4(0.2) 4(0.2) 37(1.5) 106(4.2) 259(10.2) 186(7.3) 178(7.0) 242(9.5) 125(4.9) 32(1.3) 7(0.3) 1,183(46.7) Source: Climate-Data.org

Notes and references

[edit] References[edit] ^ "Partido UNE gana alcaldía de Chimaltenango". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). Guatemala. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015. ^ Citypopulation.de Population of departments and municipalities in Guatemala ^ Citypopulation.de Population of cities & towns in Guatemala ^ a b c La Ilustración Guatemalteca 1896, p. 24. ^ Juarros 1818, p. 336. ^ a b Juarros 1818, p. 344. ^ Juarros 1818, p. 345. ^ Maudslay & Maudslay 1899, p. 42. ^ Macías del Real 1897, p. 388. ^ "Climate: Chimaltenango". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 19 September 2015. ^ a b SEGEPLAN (2010). "Municipios de Chimaltenango" (in Spanish). Guatemala. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015. Bibliography[edit] Juarros, Domingo (1818). Compendio de la historia de la Ciudad de Guatemala (in Spanish). Guatemala: Ignacio Beteta. La Ilustración Guatemalteca (15 August 1896). "Nuestros Grabados: Natalia Górriz de Morales". La Ilustración Guatemalteca (in Spanish). I (2). Guatemala: Síguere, Guirola & Cía. Macías del Real, A. (15 March 1897). "Resumen Quincenal". La Ilustración Guatemalteca (in Spanish). 1 (16). Guatemala: Síguere, Guirola & Cía. Maudslay, Alfred Percival; Maudslay, Anne Cary (1899). A glimpse at Guatemala, and some notes on the ancient monuments of Central America (PDF). London, UK: John Murray.